Sweep rack



o'1.24, 1944. HWEKERT' 2,361,341

SWEEP RACK Filed Aug. 50, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l oct. 24, 1944 H. WIEKERT SWEEP RACK Filed Aug. 30, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct.`24, 1944. I H. wlEKER-r SWEEP RACK 4Filed Aug. A50, 1945 :s sheets-sheet s lPatented Oct. 24, T1944l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I .2,361,341

' .swear 'RACK Beye Wiekert, eason, Ill. Application August 3o, 1943, serial No. 500,563

s claims.r (ci. 214-131) This invention is-v directed to an -improvement in sweep racks, and particularly to a, means for operating such racks with a View to their eilective pick up, transportation and selective delivery of the material.

The sweep rack of the present invention includes a frame havingrelatively long teeth or tines, with a stop gate at the rear to retain the contents of the racl when raised for transferring the load, the rack being mounted Ifor lowering or raising at will to either pick ,up a. load or deliver the same to a selected depository.

The invention has a further object in the provision of means .wherebythe rack may be raised to a height to permit the tilting to a position to deliver the loadon an elevated depository, such as a wagon, hay stack, or the like, the rack when in such elevated position being capable of being tilted for gravital or other delivery.

The invention also has` for its object'the `pro-- vision of means whereby the rack may be carried by and operated from a tractor or truck frame, with the operating means controllable by Y the driver to compellthe desiredractuation of the 4rack for pick-up or delivery.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 ins a view showing one embodiment of the present invention in side elevation and applied to a tractor;

i Figure2 is a view in top plan of the structure of Figure 1 removed from the tractor; A

Figure 3 is a transverse section `taken substantially on the line 3-"3 of Figure 1;

Figure' 4 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the cable drum and the clutches at the ends thereof;

Figure 5 is a transverse section on' the line 5 5 oi" Figure 4;

the sweep rack with a tractor. -The specic struc- Vture includes' opposed parallel' sills 5,l to each of which is secured an upright 6. The forward ends of the sills 5 have depending sections 1 to which are swingingly secured bars 8 connected to the cross bar 3 .of the sweep rack. The swinging support for the bars 8 provides the pivotal mounting l on which the sweep rack is moved. f

The sills 5 are provided. with a transverse beam 10 9 andwith a rear en d beam I 0; and an auxiliary drive shaft II is supported in appropriate hanger lbearings carried by these beams. A transmission I2 cooperating with shaft II controls in., the usual way direct and reverse drive of the shaft.

A clutch member I3 is secured on the drive ,shaft II immediately behind the transmission, anda split drum I4 the shaft.

The druml I drand the clutch memberl3 have formed upon their opposing faces 'cooperating lugs and recesses I4 and I4" whereby, when the drum is shiftedon the shaft,it may be operatively coupled with the shaft through the clutch member I3 or disconnected from the shaft, as

will be readily apparent upon reference to Figure 4. The drum is preferably made in two sec- 'tions and bolted together, after assembling on the shaft, and at vthe end nearest the `clutch member I3 is provided with an annular groove '35 sfork I6 by a link I6" is a control lever L by" e means of which the fork may be shifted toeie'ct the movement of the drum toward and away from the clutch member i3.

As in the application of the unit to a tractor,

` Figure 6 ig a, sectionm view on the une sgg-24o ythe'drive is .beyond the conventional drive shaft ure 7..

',Ihe sweepbrack proper, indicated at Irismade up of relatively long, preferably pointed' teeth or tines 2, rigidlyconnected near their A rear ends by a cross bar 3, the rear ends of the teeth being provided withc an upstanding rskeleton frame 4,

when the rack is tilted.

of that mechanism, the auxiliary drive shaft II A the forward end of which'is formed to cooperate. with thef usual sleeve 'of a power take-olif of a tractor.' This connection will be conventional 'and detailed disclosure of suchv is'not-necessary.

I At the opposite end of the drum innere' isfixed to the frame crossmember I0 a clutchpli'itel 0 28 and the face of this clutch plate and. the vadjacent faceor end ofthe drum I4 have ccoperatf ing lugs `andrecessesf29 and 30 wlcerelimfwhen the `drum is shifted" a 'suflcient ldistancerea/rl y 6 wardly from the clutch member.. I3. it may/be 'I'he showing in Figurel-indicatesthe use of locked to the plate 28 and :he

1d gainst irritais supported on the drive shaft' and normally free of any drive connection with4 2. tion. This locking of the drum is made where it is desired to hold the sweep rack raised and at the same time reverse the machine so as to prevent the cables unwinding from the drum and rights and overlie and bear on the housings I8.-

Clamps of Uform embrace the sills on the side of thehousing opposite the uprights, such clamps I9' having a plate connecting their upper ends and secured by bolts. Thus, the sills and connected parts are firmly but removably xedto the axle housings.

Braces extend from the uprights near their the points of Athe rack to contact the ground. I

After the rack hasbeeniilled or has picked up j a load, it is lifted to the horizontal position shown ment 4of the rear ends thereof with the tops of the long lift arms 3| and further pulling of the cables will then cause thelong lift arms 3| to swing up on their pivots 32, whereby the load can be lifted to the desired elevation. After the upper ends to the lower ends of vertical bars .v

2|, connected at their upper ends by .a cross bar- 22 to be bolted to the front end of a tractor frame to provide a support. The .sills yil and .connected parts are thus rigidly carried by the tactor frame, and the operatingv parts are driven by the tractor power in either direction, and the e `drum selectively driven in either direction at the will of the operator.

The sweep rack operating means includes two cables 23, terminally wound in opposite directions about the drum Il, carried laterally therefrom and over pulleys 2l secured to the sills 5, then up and over pulleys 25, secured to the upper ends of the uprights 5, then down and around pulleys 26 carried by bars 21 secured to the rack, then up `and terminally secured to the uprights 5. near their upper ends. The bars 21 are prodesired height has been reached for the load, the rack can be tipped slightly by slackeningv the cable so as to allow the rackfto tip down, swinging. on the pivot 36. Thus, the loaded sweep rack may be raised by the lift arms to a position well above the bottom of the wagon, for example, and the load readily discharged into the wagon. If desired, suitable catches may be employed to hold the lift arms in elevated position during such operation .of thrack.

In the use of the unit with a truck', the sills are clamped to a, hanger from the. bars of lthe truck frame and the front ends, of the sills'suspended from a bar bolted to the bumper of `the truck. Here the drive shaft of vthe truck may serve in place of the auxiliary shaft ||,and the 4 parts of the unit and the operation are' as previously described.- Y i y Of course, no limitation is intended by any detailed description herein as to size or material of any parts employed, and.l it is, o f course, to be understood that the detailed 'construction may be varied t0 an extent to adapt it for use with any vided to arrange` the pulleys 26 a suillcient dis- V tance from the end of the rack to insure approver leverage for the lift of the rack.

As Athe cables 23 are wound in opposite direcauxiliary shaft being driven, the cables will act in one turning direction of the drum to lift the Afree end ofthe rack on the pivotal mounting of charge may be 'on a much higher level than usual, as for example in delivering the load to a hayrack, wagon, or other depository.

To provide forthis'operation, the construction illustrated in Figure 7 is employed wherein a frame is made use of similar to the first described frame, above the side rails 20' of which are disposed the long arms 3| each 'of which is special tractor or truck.

What is claimed is:

`1. A sweep rack, spaced -sills pviotally connected with the rack, uprights rising from the 40 sills. a drive shaft supported 'at an end bythe tions about thedrum Il,` itis' apparent th'at when the drum is in clutched cooperation andthev sills, a drum normally free for axial movement on the shaft, means for connecting the drum and shaft upon axial sluiting of the drurn,`for opera- .tive movement of the drum, cables wound in op- -posite directions about the drum, passed laterally of the drum and over pulleys, then upwardly over pulleys at the upper ends of the uprights', then to 'and around pulleys .on the sweep rack and back to and secured to the uprlghts; l

2. A construction as defined in claim l; where-` in the sills pass under the axle housing of the vehicle, the upright being secured to the sills at pivotally attached at its rear end,`as at 32, to 'an upright''.' Each or these long arms 3| constivtutes -a lift arm and at their forward ends,` each has pivotally attachedthereto a short arm 33 .which is connected with the rear portion or gate 3l of the rack 35. As -shownrin Figure '1, the

'short arm 33 is pivoted at 35 a substantial distance inwardly from its rear-` end so vthat such rear end overlaps a portion of the forward end of the lift arm 3| to which itis connected.

A With this arrangement, it will be readily seen that when the sweep rack 35 is lowered by the slackening of thecables 23', the short arms 33 will swing downwardly on their pivots 3B to allow one side of and adjacent to said housing. a clamp member secured to each upright and extending across the housing,and a releasable coupling between each clamp member and the adjacent sill `and extending across the housing upon the side thereof opposite from ithe adjacent upright. i

3. A sweep rack comprising a frame adapted to be vmounted upon a wheeled carrier having a power take-off, arack pivotally mounted upon the frame, a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame and adaptedgfor connection with said power take-oil', a' drum slidably mounted-.upon

said shaft, clutch means securedto the shaft,

means for shifting the drum axially intoand out of operative connection with the clutch means,

and cables connected withsaid raclr` and with said drum for effecting the swinging' of the rack upwardlyon its'pivot' upon the winding of the 4. A sweep rack as set forth in claim 3, includ' ing a second clutch element fixed against turning adjacent the opposite end of the drum from the nrst clutch element. and means for estab- *A afacnsn lishing an operative coupling between the drum and the second clutch element upon oppositely A, axially shifting the drum to secure the drum against rotation.

A sweep rack comprising a frame designed to be mounted upon a wheeled carrier, a pair of uprightsmounted upon the frame, a sweep rack having an upright fence across the rear part thereof, short rearwardly extending arms carried by said fence, long lift arms extending longitudinally ofthe frame to the forward end thereof and each pivotaily attached at its rear end to an upright forvvertical swinging. each of said s hortl armsbeingin overlapping relation with the forward end of a long arm and pivotally attached to the long arm whereby each short arm'may have downward swinging movement with respect to the long arm but is limitedin its upward swingcoupled with the rack to effect oscillation of the rack when wound up on the drum, and a shift 'means carried by the frame and operatively couv said clutch members.

ing movementv to parallel relation with the long arm, and means connected with the, rack for effecting the upward swinging of the arms.

6. A sweep rack structure comprising a frame designed to enclose a power unit such as a tractor having a power take-oft' a rack pivotaily supported upon the forward end of the frame for the frame, a shaft rotatably supported upon the frame and adaptedfor operative connection with said power take-oil?, a cable drum supported upon the shaft for axial movement, means at one end of the drum forming a clutch member, a clutch oscillation upon an axis extending transversely of 7. A sweep rack structure asPset forth in claim 6,with a second clutch member carried by the drum and upon the other end thereof, and a clutch. .member fixed to the frame adjacent the said second clutch member, said shift means being eiectivefor thev shifting of the drum away from that clutch" member which is fixed to the shaft to eifct the operative connection of the clutch member upon the other end of the drum -with the fixed clutch member whereby to lock the drum against turning.' x

8. Asweep rack, a frame on which the rack is pivotaily mounteda drive shaft, a drum normally free for both rotary and axial movement on the shaft, a clutch element carried upon each end of the drum, a fixed clutch element at one end of the drum, a clutch element carried by and fixed to the shaft at the other end of the drum .for rotation with the shaft, said fixed clutch ele- ,ment andY shaft' carried clutch element beingr ried clutch element, and cables wound on the drum and'-terminally connected -to the sweep rack 'for operating the latter onits pivotal mounting.

WIEKERT. 

